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Zoom, On-line Learning, and Smarter AI

A technological dinosaur catches up

Unexpected benefit of this pandemic is the easy access to talks, seminars on line as well as family get together in the pandemic era through the software “Zoom”. Zoom is the leader in modern enterprise video communications, with an easy, reliable cloud platform for video and audio conferencing, chat, and webinars across mobile, desktop, and room systems. Zoom Rooms is the original software-based conference room solution used around the world in board, conference, huddle, and training rooms, as well as executive sessions.

Actually, Zoom was first invented by a Chinese engineer. About ten years ago, Tsinghua University, Xian Jiaotung University, and the Chinese American chair professor team of U conn, Harvard, UMass, City University of HK had an experimental version of Zoom connection. But the version was clumsy and difficult to use and fell into disuse. The current commercial version is of course vastly improved. It transforms teaching. Classes now has less lectures but more labs with synchronized as well as unsynchronized discussions. We still have need for large assistant teaching staff for large classes to give individual attention. Beyond Zoom there is software specialized for on line teaching called, FORUM which are  steps beyond ZOOM and allow even more control than Zoom. Suddenly, teaching has gone beyond lecture, blackboard and caulk with a quantum jump.

By the same token, development of AI has also gone beyond just being “smart” in a controlled environment. AI now considers situation where you cannot control INPUT data, Environment (both may be hostile), and Privacy. The need check and assurance becomes important.

I am not sure without this pandemic and being retired, I’d have time/opportunity to learn all these new developments.